Georgia Off-Road Trails

Don't let the unsuspecting drive to the trailhead fool you. This trail poses serious challenges. Shortly after passing through several residential areas, the paved road turns to rough gravel, and the climb begins. The 4.7-mile trail gains over 1000 feet of elevation!

Most of the trail meanders through the Chattahoochee National Forest and runs parallel to Darnell Creek. There are several pullouts to admire the beautiful waterfalls, including Darnell Falls, Big Falls on Thomas Creek, and Middle Falls on Thomas Creek.

Approximately 3 miles into the route is the Darnell Shooting Range. This is a great place to turn around as it offers a wide parking area. The U.S. Forest Service manages the range, but unfortunately, people have dumped trash and left debris from the shooting. Please pack out your trash when you come to this area! Feel free to pick up trash around the range and pack it out.

The road narrows and gets slightly off-camber past the range but resumes being a graded forest service road approximately a quarter of a mile past the range. The remainder of the trail is generally east, but mud puddles and washes may be along the road following rain.

There are several gullies along the trail. A high clearance 4WD vehicle is necessary to overcome the obstacles along the trail. Vehicles with longer wheelbases may drag their frame.

The trail has several primitive campsites. They are first come, first serve.

This short, easy trail traverses east to west through the Scull Shoals Experimental Forest. The trail's highlight is a stop at the Scull Shoals Historic Site at the end. The site has over 10,000 years of history, from early Native Americans to the Spanish explorer DeSoto in the 1540s, to Georgia's first paper mill in 1811. Take a gentle hike along the historic ruins of the old Scull Shoals Village on the banks of the Oconee River.

There are no primitive campsites along this trail. However, the Scull Shoals Experimental Forest Trail bisects this trail and has dispersed campsites. If you are looking for an established campground, the Oconee River Campground is nearby. The campground has five campsites with tables, tent pads, and charcoal grills available to campers. No reservations are required, but each site costs $5.00 daily and is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

West Cowpen is one of the main roads that make up the 70-plus mile-long overland loop around the Cohutta Wilderness. Traveling north to south, you will climb almost 2,000' in elevation. As you wind up the gravel road, sections of the eastern hardwoods will break, offering views to the west. Just after the final and steepest climb, there is a worthy viewpoint overlooking what is called "Mill Creek." The road is suitable for almost any vehicle, but a few steep grades may pose difficulty for front-wheel drive vehicles. Keep an eye out for the few pre-disturbed dispersed campsites. Be aware the road is typically closed from January through March.

Air down those tires and ensure those shocks are in good order before driving this rocky trail! Johns Mountain Road is a narrow road that follows the ridge of Johns Mountain for just under three miles, starting at Dunaway Gap from Dunaway Gap Road. Lush green canopies add to the feeling of seclusion in the summertime, while the lack of leaves offers views of the valley to the east in the winter. While there are no technical spots, there is pretty much no gravel left and mostly embedded medium rocks, making for a slow, bone-rattling ride most of the way. The trail ends at a gate.

Although there is a clearing with a nice fire ring for camping right before the gate, you would have to make sure not to block the turnaround area as that's the last place to turn around before the gate.

Potato Patch Road is the forest service road name that refers to what many call Conasauga Lake Road. It is part of the 70+ mile Cohutta Wilderness Loop. This portion of the route treats you to awe-inspiring older growth from below, and the tree tops close to your eye level. Further along the road, the underbrush becomes more dense and pronounced, hiding a few prime dispersed campsites. If dispersed camping is not your style, Lake Conasauga Campground is on the far west edge of the road and offers a few lovely sites nestled directly on the shore of the lake. Most of this road is closed from January - March.

Any fan of military history will appreciate this short trail. Currahee Mountain was made famous by the release of Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers. The release of the HBO miniseries based on the book of the same name brought the area additional prominence in 2003.

During World War 2, the United States Army used Camp Toccoa to train the first generation of American Paratrooper. The 501st, 506th, 511th, and 517th Parachute Infantry Regiments initially completed prerequisite training here prior to traveling south to Fort Benning to complete Jump School. Between 1942 and 1945, over 17,000 young American Soldiers underwent rigorous physical training and combat training as they prepared to join the 11th, 17th, and 101st Airborne Divisions. Part of the daily training regimen included forced marches and runs to the top of Currahee.

Today, getting to the top of Currahee is much easier than it was over 80 years ago. Following the war, the rutted and rugged roads were graded over as the top Currahee was repurposed to host radio towers.

This trail starts at the intersection of West Currahee Street and Currahee Trail. The trail is graded gravel and winds its way through Georgia forests. It can be completed by any type of vehicle. 4WD is not necessary. The trail gains approximately 700 feet in elevation from start to finish.

Nearing the summit, the forests give way to really neat rock formations and beautiful views. Unfortunately the area has been "tagged" with a lot of graffiti, but the views are still great. Make sure to take time at the turnaround point to get out and explore the area. The turnaround point for the young soldiers can be found near the base of the cell phone towers located at the highest point on the mountain. From the turn-around point, make your way back down to the trailhead. Make sure to check out the Airborne Memorial and the newly renovated Camp Toccoa at Currahee Museum near the entrance of the trail.

No camping is permitted along the trail, but camping is available just north of Toccoa.

Think the trail is easy? It is! For a challenge, park your vehicle at the beginning of the trail and hike or run the trek to the top while thinking of the young Americans that did the same up to three times per day! It is a rewarding experience. If you have time available, take the trip to Toccoa. The Historic Toccoa Rail Station now holds the Currahee Military Museum, which has several one-of-a-kind artifacts from the original Band of Brothers.

Three Miles Up, Three Miles Down. Currahee!

With access to four popular hiking trails, Indian Grave Gap is an easy forest road nestled in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest just north of Helen, GA. The road climbs about 1200 feet in elevation during its roughly 4-mile path and remains in the thick oak and sycamore forests native to the area. About 1 mile up Indian Grave Gap from its start on State Highway 17, two of Georgia’s most beautiful waterfalls are along the exceptionally popular High Shoals Falls hiking trail. Other hiking trails cross this road, including the famous Appalachian Trail, Rocky Mountain, and Andrews Cove. Indian Grave Gap ends at its intersection with the popular Tray Mountain Road. Several nice dispersed camping sites are along Indian Grave Gap near its intersection with Tray Mountain Road. With all the activities available in this area, Indian Grave Gap can be very busy, especially on the weekends.

Formerly two separate roads with different open dates, Martin Branch Road is one through road with one set of dates that acts as a shortcut bypass of Chattahoochee River Road. This long, steep gravel road runs almost parallel to Highway 75 along the ridges and mountaintops, connecting the top of Chattahoochee River Road near Unicoi Gap to the bottom near Helen. You can see why it was once two separate roads as the terrain is quite different - the upper half is very steep, and the gravel is worn away most of the way, leaving compacted dirt and slightly rocky areas. The bottom half is not nearly as steep and has gravel almost the entire way, making this trail suitable for any stock 4x4 vehicle.

Although not ideal, a few scattered clearings could be used as campsites here and there.

This seasonal road is only open a few weeks per month, from September through December. The dates vary slightly each year. Check the dates before visiting via the Forest Service website.